Egypt leaves the Internet, citizens revolt. Update: Internet's back, still revolting.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Holy crap. What the heck's going on? Coles notes?

BBC Article on Egypt

Anti-government protests are intensifying across Egypt, as police clash with demonstrators in several cities demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

[icarus]

More Coles notes from BBC:

Key points

1. Egyptian riot police clash with thousands of anti-government demonstrators.
2. Police fire tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds in Cairo, Suez and Alexandria.
3. Suez sees some of the worst violence, with a police station being set on fire.
4. Reports say opposition figurehead Mohamed ElBaradei, who joined Cairo protests, has been placed under house arrest.
5. The authorities have disrupted mobile phone networks and internet services.
6. The unrest follows three days of protests in which at least eight people have been killed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

The BBC now has a page set up solely for eyewitness accounts:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12308405

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

In all seriousness, I came in this morning with the intent of updating a client in Cairo by e-mail . . . . . so much for that!!

I'll try anyway . . . .

Cowperson

should always keep a supply of carrier pigeons on hand for times like this

[worth]

I just got back from Egypt at the end of last year. The articles are saying Cairo and Alexandria are under curfew after 6:00pm to 7:00am. That's unreal. I spent a lot of time in those two cities, and the nightlife in both are unreal. I can not imagine Cairo cafe's not pouring into the streets all night long. Very sad indeed. There are a lot of good people over there, and they know they are not free. Many times I would talk to local Egyptians and they were envious of me being a Canadian and the freedoms we are afforded.

Hopefully some good can come of this. Mubarak has been on power for quite a long time and maybe Egypt can move to become a more free country if he leaves. But more likely, the vaccum he leaves behind will be filled with extremists.

[icarus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

1608: Al Jazeera TV reports that military trucks arrive in a Cairo square to the cheers of protesters.

This is interesting. I happen to be reading Solzhenitsyn's account of the February Revolution in Russia and that was key to overthrowing power--cheer for the military and make them feel like they are the people's saviours against the big bad police. That's how mutinies come about and how a popular uprising grows into a coup d'etat.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by icarus

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

This is interesting. I happen to be reading Solzhenitsyn's account of the February Revolution in Russia and that was key to overthrowing power--cheer for the military and make them feel like they are the people's saviours against the big bad police. That's how mutinies come about and how a popular uprising grows into a coup d'etat.

The military refusing to fire on protesters or switching sides is always a key moment, from Russia and Romania to Iran.

Cowperson

[Locke]

What the hell? I totally missed something here.

Why have they decided to air their grievances about the internet? What did the internet ever do to Egypt?

[worth]

Egypt is basically in revolution now.

Video from Al Jazeera:

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

They are calling for the Mubarak to step down after this term. If he does not say that in his conference, they will overthrow him is what the people are saying basically.

All the headquarters of the government NDP parts are on fire in Cairo.

[VladtheImpaler]

...just hope that if the downfall of Mubarak comes to pass, it's ElBaradei who emerges at the top and not the Brotherhood...

[worth]

The best thing that could come of this was if ElBaradei gets into power, he holds a free election and is elected democratically.

I don't know if he'd be up for a coup. I think he'd only take over if he were elected by the people.

[Pinner]

Why is it so dark @ 6:30 Cairo time ? They're at the 30th parallel.

[The Goon]

We should try dropping the internet for a day or two just to see how everyone reacts.

It'd be a fun social experiment.

[icarus]

Just one of those time zone things. Sudan is directly south of Egypt but one hour ahead.

[worth]

Just to be clear, this has a lot more to do than just with the internet. The government in Egypt is not democratically elected. The government may have past the point of no return with their latest actions. The internet is just one of many things that pushed the people over the edge.

[Kybosh]

Egypt, where it all begins (except for the internet).

[VladtheImpaler]

The most recent issue of the Economist has a nice article on events in Tunis, and their implication for the tinpot dictators elsewhere in the Middle East...

[Frequitude]

But why shut down the internet? So people can't spread word of protesting?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Riveting video.

Riot just stopped and everyone says prayer. Then boom, riot starts up again.

[Pinner]

The protesters have surrounded a tank and praising the army...I hope

[icarus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

1700: More on the praying protesters: at the end of their prayers, tear gas was fired at them by the security forces, prompting an angry response from the crowd and many shouts of "Allahu Akbar" (God is great).

I think that's a flimsy tactic at best if you're trying to win back the Egyptian hearts and minds...